• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic

2

Amazon's record Prime Day masks a darker truth: Americans are spending more and getting less

3

Ray Dalio just finished a 10-day trip to China. He says global leaders know America ‘doesn’t have what it takes to fight to maintain its empire’

1

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic

2

Amazon's record Prime Day masks a darker truth: Americans are spending more and getting less

3

Ray Dalio just finished a 10-day trip to China. He says global leaders know America ‘doesn’t have what it takes to fight to maintain its empire’
MPW

Ivanka Trump Is Stepping Out at the RNC Finale as Her Dad’s Not-So-Secret Weapon

By
The Associated Press
The Associated Press
and
Audrey Shi
Audrey Shi
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
The Associated Press
The Associated Press
and
Audrey Shi
Audrey Shi
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 21, 2016, 11:01 AM ET
Donald Trump Makes Announcement At Trump Tower
Photograph by Christopher Gregory—Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

In the biggest moments of her father’s presidential campaign, Ivanka Trump is center stage, one of his most effective and compelling advocates.

A poised, articulate and ever-measured counterpart to her father’s brash, freewheeling style, Ivanka will introduce the Republican presidential nominee in Thursday night’s grand finale of the party’s convention. She will be the last of four Trump’s children to speak—and the last to have the chance to humanize her polarizing father for the American people, showing warmth between his rougher edges and heart behind his bluntness.

“There is no one closer to my father than Ivanka,” her brother, Don Jr., said in an emailed statement. While he said his father is close with all of his siblings, Don Jr. said “his bond with Ivanka is truly unique. No one is more poised and articulate than my sister and no one will do a better job of explaining to the American people who my father really is.”

Ivanka Trump spends far less time on the campaign trail than her brothers and her Twitter feed is rarely political, instead focusing on her clothing line and the family business. But she is also her father’s not-so-secret weapon, one who steps into the breach at the most crucial moments.

That began in the campaign’s very first moments, when she assumed a role typically held by political spouses. She introduced the celebrity businessman in June 2015, moments before he took his famous escalator ride to announce his then-quixotic presidential campaign.

“I remember him telling me when I was a little girl, ‘Ivanka, if you’re going to be thinking anyway, you might as well be thinking big,'” she said then. “And that’s how he approaches any task that he undertakes. He thinks big.”

 

Ivanka Trump spent many months of the primary campaign pregnant with her third child and her father would joke how wonderful it would be if the baby was born in whichever state he was currently campaigning, from Iowa to New Hampshire to South Carolina.

She gave birth to her son, Theodore, on March 27—but appeared in public again just 11 days later to again be at her father’s side at a crucial moment.

Trump had just taken a bruising defeat in Wisconsin and for the first time in months, his campaign seemed vulnerable. The #NeverTrump movement gained steam and the Republican establishment seemed poised to mount one last charge to sink the celebrity businessman’s campaign. But as the primaries shifted to New York, Ivanka made a surprise appearance to kick off her father’s campaign in his native state with a spirited introduction at a massive, raucous rally in Bethpage, Long Island.

Trump won New York in a rout and his Republican primary opponents never again mounted a serious challenge.

“Ivanka is a terrific person, a wonderful mother and someone everyone has great respect for. She is highly intelligent and extremely talented, and I rely on her both for my company and my campaign,” Trump told The Associated Press in a statement. “She has great instincts in business and in life. I am incredibly proud of my daughter Ivanka, all of her accomplishments and especially her beautiful family.”

Trump has long relied on his children in business. Ivanka, Don Jr. and Eric all hold executive positions at the Trump Organization, working in side-by-side-offices a floor below their father’s.

That same family-driven model has extended to politics. Trump’s children now play a central role in his campaign, occupying much of his inner circle and assisting him in decision-making. When his plane was grounded with mechanical delays just as Trump was working to settle on his running mate, he flew them out to join him in Indiana to spend time with the state’s governor, Mike Pence, his ultimate choice.

And while all of his grown children have had a visible presence on the campaign trail, all seem to agree that none is closer than Ivanka, 34, and husband Jared Kushner, who is now involved with nearly all facets of the campaign. That’s in addition her role managing her own eponymous line of clothing, shoes and handbags marketed to working women, and her position as executive vice president of acquisitions and development at the Trump Organization.

About the Authors
By The Associated Press
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Audrey Shi
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in MPW

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in MPW

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America’s $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
SuccessMacKenzie Scott
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America’s $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
8 hours ago
‘We are in agony’: Today Show host Savannah Guthrie begs public for help as reports surface her missing 84-year-old mom might be dead
North AmericaMedia
‘We are in agony’: Today Show host Savannah Guthrie begs public for help as reports surface her missing 84-year-old mom might be dead
By The Associated PressJune 24, 2026
17 hours ago
rp
CommentaryLaw
Cooley CEO: Big Law won’t survive if it treats AI as just an efficiency tool
By Rachel ProffittJune 23, 2026
2 days ago
astronaut
Commentaryspace
NASA just named an all-male crew for ‘Artemis III’: what’s a woman to do?
By Savanah F.S. Bray, PhDJune 22, 2026
3 days ago
gg
PoliticsElections
‘People are tired of hearing what government can’t do’: Democratic Socialists surge nationwide
By Matt Brown and The Associated PressJune 20, 2026
5 days ago
With the exits of Apple’s Tim Cook and Dow’s Jim Fitterling, the Fortune 500 is losing two groundbreaking gay CEOs—leaving just one 
C-SuiteLeadership
With the exits of Apple’s Tim Cook and Dow’s Jim Fitterling, the Fortune 500 is losing two groundbreaking gay CEOs—leaving just one 
By Phil WahbaJune 20, 2026
5 days ago

Most Popular

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
Success
Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 24, 2026
1 day ago
Amazon's record Prime Day masks a darker truth: Americans are spending more and getting less
Retail
Amazon's record Prime Day masks a darker truth: Americans are spending more and getting less
By Nick LichtenbergJune 24, 2026
24 hours ago
Ray Dalio just finished a 10-day trip to China. He says global leaders know America ‘doesn’t have what it takes to fight to maintain its empire’
Asia
Ray Dalio just finished a 10-day trip to China. He says global leaders know America ‘doesn’t have what it takes to fight to maintain its empire’
By Nick LichtenbergJune 24, 2026
1 day ago
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
8 hours ago
After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
Success
After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 23, 2026
2 days ago
Trump’s international student crackdown kicked off a domino effect that could shave nearly $500 billion off the economy
Economy
Trump’s international student crackdown kicked off a domino effect that could shave nearly $500 billion off the economy
By Tristan BoveJune 24, 2026
20 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.